faustus -> prologue Flashcards
key quote 1/4 [prologue]
‘Nor marching now in fields of Trasimene … Nor sporting in the dalliance of love … Nor in the pomp of proud and audacious deeds.’
analyse ‘Nor marching in the fields of Trasimene … Nor sporting in the dalliance of love … Nor in the pomp of proud and audacious deeds.’ [prologue]
Marlowe utilises repeated negators and listing in order to immediately establish that the eponymous protagonist is an atypical character unlike the conventional tragic hero, in the fact that he is an ‘everyman’ figure, a completely ordinary person who doesn’t come from high wealth or status. This is to make the events seem more realistic/plausible to the Renaissance audience and serve as a cautionary tale.
what is significant about the prologue being formed as a chorus ?
it’s a convention of greek tragedies
context regarding greek tragedies and myths, such as icarus
marlowe likely attended a grammar school, which shaped his presentation of classical allusions and intertextual references such as icarus, helen of troy, alexander the great, etc
key quote 2/4 [prologue]
‘Of riper years to Wittenberg he went.’
analyse ‘Of riper years to Wittenberg he went.’ [prologue]
Marlowe references the city/university of Wittenberg, where Martin Luther—leader of the 1517 Protestant Reformation—attended and taught. This presents the MC as a revolutionary, radical and controversial individual whilst acknowledging the anti-Catholic sentiments of the time which shaped the play.
key quote/technique 3/4 [prologue]
‘riper years … fruitful plot of scholarism … sweet delight disputes …’
—> semantic field of food / gluttony
analyse ‘riper years … fruitful plot of scholarism … sweet delight disputes.’ [prologue]
Marlowe uses the semantic field of food, which later develops into the motif of gluttony, to present knowledge and learning as nourishing, enriching and somewhat addictive to the MC, as he begins to crave the over-consumption of it, ultimately leading to his tragic downfall.
key quote 4/4 [prologue]
‘His waxen wings did mount above his reach, And melting heavens conspired his overthrow.’
analyse ‘His waxen wings did mount above his reach, And melting heavens conspired his overthrow.’ [prologue]
Marlowe forms a classical allusion/intertextual reference to the myth of Icarus, the boy who flew too close to the sun, to foreshadow that the protagonist is a figure who will blur the lines between gods and mortals, and thus be fatally damned for it.
